Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-12-22
SOUTH cARoLINA's pHospHArEa
Alaes In the Regisa ef thS Ashley Rivss.
Mining. wsshing saA DFying.

Alaes In the Region of ths Ashley River.
Mining. Washing saA Dryine.
The whole coast region seems to have
once been the bed Of shallow inland sea,
and over q compact bed Of mari some
forty or more feet IN depth there lies q de-
posit Of phosphate Of lime from eighteen
to thirty six inches thick. This is Just b.
low the recent soil and sand. II il reached
by stripping the surface till ut depth OF
fifteen to twenty inches the deposit il
found. The phosphate is in thu form Of
nodular concretions, from the size Of ones
head down to coarse gravel, about 80 per
cent. Of it being sand and marshy humus.
This Is loaded on TO tramway cars and
hauled on an inclined road to the top OF
the washing house. From the cars 1t is
dumped into long troughs-inverted pyra-
mids-at the bottom Of which are large re-
vOlving shafts armed with steel teeth,
which serve to break the large humps into
smaller ones and return the whole into
lower troughs, In which revolve other
shafts armed with paddles, spirally
arranged, to carry the phosphate forward
and deliver 1t on to . screen inclined at an
angle Of forty five degrees, from which 1t
falls to the floor. During all this time it
is treated with sprays Of water, and the
dirt and sand arc borne OF In q contrary
direction by suitable reverse slant in the
troughs.
The damp but clean phosphate rock Is
then shoveled into barrows and wheeled
into the upper part Of Large brick kilns
about 60xl00 feet and twenty five feet
high. The kiln Is nrst prepared by
spreading on the bottom layer of washed
phosphate pebbles, two feet thick Ia
this are laid iron flues to give Or, and
over these q pile OF fire wood southern
pine, two feet thick, and then on this thv
phosphate rock is tumbled from the bar
rows above until II reaches ten to twelve
Feet thick, about 400 tons to kiln. Tbs
mass then being ignited from the nues,
burns slowly, and when consumed tbs
moisture Of the pile is driven off, and the
rock is ready for shipment and sale to the
fertilizer establishments, which, by pro-
cesses peculiar to each, treat IL with sui
phuric acid to free or to make more solu-
Bile the phosphori acid it contains. 1t il
then ready for use by the planter.
The two establishments operated by
this company produce 125 900 tons Of tks
rock annually The profit Is somewhere
about 20 per cent on the capital invested.
The limit Of production Is only bounded
by the demand. The prices range from
81 per ton to now, about "a per ton. An
alysis Of the washed rock shows: Dirt,
TO per cent. silica. in form Of coarse
white sand, IL to Is per ceus. lime, ~
per cent; phosphoric nci1, % to 70 per
cent. The color of this curious deposit 10
from . cream yellow to coarse brown
orange, forming irregular concretions. Its
source Is evidently from the marine ami
NAL life, which in former geological ages
abounded in this then shallow sea- Tho
fossilized vertebra aud teeth OF fish and
some animals abound in 1t. l gathered
triangular teeth of sharks measuring four
inches on each side, indicating monsters
Of that period that must have been whale
like in size. These teeth ore as perfect a.
when shed, highly polished, With razor
like, sharp edges finely serrated
The discovery and development Of :hese
riches occurred soon after the war, and
afforded the impoverished people y source
OF income and wealth that proved 70 be
more valuable than gold mines. Negro
laborers are employed entirely. and are
found Of late years tractable, industri US,
apd work to the entire satisfac tion OF their
employers whec treated justly aud with
consideration. There are seven large
mines in this region, the output o! which
goes largely to- Europe. Other deposits
arc under water and are dredged for, pu,
J.herwise ure treated as are those Of the
dry diggin9s Charleston Is. C.I Cor. De-
'roit Free Press.